Dear TWIG Readers,
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| American tourists in Baden-Württemberg: Americans who have visited Germany tend to have more favorable impressions of the country. |
| (© picture-alliance/dpa) |
This week, German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth
presented the results of a study that shows that Americans generally like
Germany and the Germans. This is no surprise to those of us in the public
diplomacy business, and the numbers speak for themselves. Forty-eight percent of
Americans have an excellent or good overall impression of Germany and the
Germans. If that sounds lukewarm, consider that only eleven percent said they
had a negative impression of Germany, with 41 percent predictably claiming a
"neutral" impression of Germany. Times are tough, people are busy, and the
Atlantic Ocean, platitudes about our shrinking world notwithstanding, is very
wide. When a larger percentage of people feel warmly toward a foreign nation
than have no opinion at all, relations are good indeed.
Mutual Admiration Society
According to the 2009 Pew Global Attitudes Survey, an overwhelming majority of
Germans, 64 percent, reciprocate with favorable views of America (the German
respondents did not get off so easily as the Americans and had to choose between
favorable and unfavorable options, which may explain some of the apparent
imbalance in the relative levels of transatlantic ardor). According to both
polls, the German-American friendship, as measured in favorable impressions, is
stronger now than at any point since the wave of international solidarity
unleashed by the terrorist tacks of September 11, 2001. Moreover, the German
people never wavered in their fidelity to the American
people, whom they granted favorable ratings upwards of 60 percent even as
views of the United States government sagged during the Iraq War controversy.
Similarly, American impressions of the Germans have never been better since the
German Information Center began its annual poll in 2002.
What's at the root of all this admiration? Americans think Germany is a
high-tech country (48 percent), that produces important research findings (46
percent) and has a thriving culture and performing arts scene (44 percent).
American opinions on beer and bratwurst are not probed in this annual study (we
can't make it look like we're rigging the game, after all), but one can't help
but detect a cameo by the autobahn in American agreement that Germany has an
"excellent transportation infrastructure" (44 percent).
Who Cares?
So what? Who cares what Americans think of German roads and railways?
It's nice to get credit where credit is due, but this survey certainly has no
impact on whether or not the trains actually run on time in Germany.
Decision-makers in business and politics are quick to cite survey results as
evidence for the wisdom of a policy they happen to support and quick to declare
their independence from such hookum when faced with the necessity of doing
something unpopular. What good are survey results really, if they are so easily
instrumentalized?
Surveys like these measure perceptions, not reality. For those of us charged
with communicating political realities like the transatlantic alliance, the
interesting findings are those that go against the conventional wisdom or point
to deficits in understanding. They help us identify opportunities; they let us
know when we have work to do.
For instance, only 15 percent of Americans agree that Germany is a strong
partner of Israel, and an equal number - 16 percent - disagree. Germany's
support of Israel might be a relatively obscure topic outside of graduate
seminars, but it is also a pillar of Germany's foreign policy, and Germany can
do better to communicate this fact to Americans.
Perhaps the most striking facts in this survey relate to climate change. An
absolute majority of Americans, 51 percent, believes that regulatory steps
should be taken at the national and international level to combat climate
change. Forty-five percent want Germany and America to work together more
closely on this issue. Although 42 percent of Americans believe that measures
against global warming might harm the economy, a staggering 41 percent of those
people believe that they are necessary anyway. This survey was conducted in
December, 2009, just months after another Pew survey indicated that 50 percent
of Americans favor limiting carbon emissions and 56 percent favor a global
approach to the problem.
There's a lot of work to do
The same Pew Study suggested that only 36 percent of Americans believe
that the rise in global temperatures is attributable to human activity.
Unfortunately, this perception will have as little effect on the warming climate
as American admiration of German roads will on traffic in Düsseldorf. This kind
of dissonance in public attitudes about climate change should be instructive
though. It suggests that people will be all the more ready to embrace the
necessary changes when they fully understand the problem, and that means there
is still a lot of work to do!
David Brown
Webteam Germany.info
Co-Editor, The Week in Germany
In this issue
Top Stories
Current Affairs
Business, Technology and the Environment
Culture and Lifestyle
About "The Week in Germany"
Top Stories
Americans' Image of Germany Reaches New High
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Americans hold Germany and the German people in higher esteem today than at any time since September 2002, according to the results of a survey commissioned by the German Information Center.
Tocotronic: Hamburg’s Rocking Language Acrobats on Tour
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Not only are Tocotronic lyrics almost exclusively in German, the language of the songs is in part so stilted and old-fashioned that it repeatedly leaves you astonished at how the band nevertheless manages to create compelling pop hymns.
Win a Trip to Visit a German University with Deutsche Welle
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"Studi-DW", the Deutsche Welle program about studying in Germany, has announced a contest with the chance to win a trip to Germany to visit a University in Bonn or Berlin.
Current Affairs
German Government Ready to Help Chile
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The German Government is ready to help Chile, which was struck by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake, with reconstruction aid. Speaking by telephone with Chilean President Bachelet, Chancellor Merkel promised support for Chile beyond emergency aid.
Afghanistan Mission Gains Broad Support in Bundestag
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The German Bundestag has decided by a wide majority to continue the German Bundeswehr’s participation in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle heralded the mandate as a new chapter in Germany’s Afghanistan policy.
Pittsburgh – A Pillar of Transatlantic Opportunity
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The familiar theme of German-American relations took center stage once again on February 22 in the city known for its numerous valuable contributions to the transatlantic relationship: Pittsburgh, host city to last year’s G-20 Summit and the international home to many German businesses, is also under the consular jurisdiction of the German Consulate General in New York.
Business, Technology and the Environment
Merkel Opens CeBIT, Largest IT Trade Show
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Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are key drivers of globalization and progress, Chancellor Merkel said at the opening of the world's biggest IT trade show, CeBIT, in Hanover.
Digital Industry Looks to CeBIT for Business Boost
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The computer industry is hoping that the CeBIT trade show in Hannover this week will give the sector a real shot in the arm. Highlights this year include intelligent networking infrastructures for the home, mobile broadband internet along with navigation and telematic solutions for companies.
2nd German American Energy Conference
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Building on the success of the 1st German American Energy Conference in March 2009, organized by the German American Chambers of Commerce and the German Energy Agency GmbH (dena), this event will be taking place once again this year at the House of German Business in Berlin on March 22-23.
Culture and Lifestyle
The Way to Integration is Through the Stomach
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Actor Adnan Maral put on his apron to present Turkish and Bavarian cuisine on the TV station Bayerischer Rundfunk. In an interview, he reports on the Turkish variant of Bavarian meat patties and on why the way to integration is through the stomach.
Intermediaries between History and the Present Day – Design Museums in Germany
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At first glance design museums seem to be a contradiction in terms, but the discipline of design is now over a hundred years old and boasts a rich history. The German design museum scene includes both public and privately-funded institutions as well as company museums.
Carol Kahn Strauss Honored with Erwin Piscator Award for Work in Preserving the Legacy of German-speaking Jewry
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Each year, the foundation “Elysium-between two continents” presents its Erwin Piscator Award to individuals whose work reflects the legacy of the humanitarian and politically aware German theatre director. This year’s recipient of the Honorary Erwin Piscator Award 2010 in memory of Maria Ley Piscator was Executive Director of the Leo Baeck Institute (LBI), Carol Kahn Strauss.
Trio Enigma in Concert at the German Embassy
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During their US tour, the Trio Enigma gave a private concert for guests of Ambassador Scharioth and Ulrike Scharioth in their residence and a second concert, which was open to the public, at the German Embassy. Music selections marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Robert Schumann.
Readings: Second Opinions Courtesy of Germany.info
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This week, see how the sausage is made (literally), find out what connects Brecht with Sweeney Todd and meet the folks who made the glass case for the bust of Nefertiti.
About "The Week in Germany"
A Publication of Germany.info and the German Information Center, USA
The articles referred to in this newsletter may contain links to websites that are maintained by third parties. These links are for readers' reference only, and the German Information Center is not responsible, nor shall it be held liable for, the content, services or products provided on these websites. The opinions and material contained herein do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the German government.
© 2009 Germany.info unless otherwise noted.